turning average joes into local spokesmodels

Tag Archives: big apple

Ivan Pereira reported earlier this month in amNew York about the struggles facing mom-and-pop stores all over New York City. The NY landscape has changed tremendously in recent years. SoHo, once dense with local boutiques and hole-in-the-wall bakeries, has since been overrun by large, corporate brands like All Saints, Anthropology, and Panera. The little fish are being pushed to outer waters. I shop at both of those clothing stores (and I’ve eaten a rushed sandwich at Panera) and I’m happy that their lower-cost approach to boho fashion is available to me and my (stylishy black) New York wardrobe. It’s beyond unfortunate, though, that smaller shops can’t keep pace with name brand locations and are forced to close and go elsewhere. The little fish are always the best ones for ya.

The trend isn’t specific to boutiques or bakeries. Bookstores, too, reports Pereira, are a new addition to a long list of local shops bidding adieu to high rents and the Big Apple.

Many storeowners believe city government should take on advocating for longtime, local stores. A DeBlasio spokesperson, Wiley Norvell, said in a comment that the administration will work to preserve longtime stores and venues. But we haven’t seen any new policy come out fighting for small businesses or at least nothing significant to enough to create a stir.

In an interview between Pereira and Rolando Pujol, who runs city history blog The Retrologist, the historian said the trend of closing longtime businesses has increased over the last five years. “People pay a premium to live in New York because of the interesting funky shops and the weird little places to grab a bite. But every time you lose that, it begins to erase the value that New York has.”

As I’ve discussed in previous blog posts, this phenomenon of local businesses not surviving is what drove Spokeable co-founders to create their solution for local businesses. They wanted to support local business owners and their establishments and help them thrive. They’d seen a lot of their favorite shops close in Miami and wanted to find a way to prevent further closings from taking place. Spokeable is a tool that helps local businesses grow in a sustainable way through their existing customers. We want the little fish to swim, everywhere.

If you’re in a town or city where you can support your local stores, do so. And download the app. Also definitely check out Pereira’s article where you can see the list of stores recently closed or closing in NYC.

Spokeable’s new offices are in the Lower East Side. Our hearts and stomaches will forever long for Gigi‘s soft serve cones in Miami’s midtown, but for now our operation is Big Apple bound. Our new home is a bohemium co-working space called The Yard in the Lower East Side. (Uber got their start here.) The vibe is chill and productive, the decor minimalist and modern. It’s a place where techies meet artist meet all the time coffee. The best part of the space, besides the community of cool folk, is the location. The Lower East Side is ripe with riches. No joke, there is even a rice pudding shop called “Rice to Riches.” It has almost every fashion and flavor delight you can dream of! Brimming with bakeries, bars and boutiques the Lower East Side is the perfect place for Spokeable to get it’s start. We are about local shops reaching their local market. I can’t think of a better place to begin. Which is why I’m featuring two of Spokeable’s favorite LES joints here today!

at 88 Orchard St — As a fixture both in its streetscape and the hearts of the community, Irving Farm at 88 Orchard keeps focus on preserving the most wonderful things about the cafe while building on its great menu and atmosphere with a quality-focused coffee program. Most of all, they say, “we’re proud to be part of this Lower East Side neighborhood tradition.” They make a great cup of coffee and some delectable vanilla bean donuts too. Sarah is guilty of eating one too many. Regularly.

at 129 Rivington St. — A cornerstone of the Spokeable lunch, Tiny Giant gets a lot of business from our team. In an unpretentious and airy setting they offer vegetarian and meaty sandwiches ranging from the Mac Daddy (a veggie burger resembling a big mac and smothered in special sauce) to the Spicy Rizzak (turkey, bacon, sautéed onions, cheddar, and genuinely hot chipotle mayo). They also have decent coffee and a very, very friendly staff.